The Oklahoman’s Super 30: Why Weatherford's versatile star CJ Nickson committed to OU

CJ Nickson has always been bold in adapting to the environment around him.

The mentality materialized as an active kid, juggling an itch to play many sports simultaneously.

Nickson has continued to scratch his itch throughout his tenure at Weatherford, playing basketball, football and track and field.

"Growing up loving basketball, I just always knew how valuable it was to be versatile," Nickson said. "Sometimes you have to embrace new roles to win."

As a freshman, his athletic talent was evident to Eagles head coach Taylor Sossamon.

Although Weatherford was log-jammed with seasoned starters on the defensive line, Sossamon found room for Nickson on his defense.

"We needed to find a way to get a player like him on the field, so we lined him up at cornerback," Sossamon said. "He's grown quite a bit since then, so that's not really an option for him anymore."

More: A look at The Oklahoman's 2025 Super 30 high school football recruiting series

Nickson, now a 6-foot-6, 235-pound defensive end committed to OU, is ranked No. 2 on The Oklahoman's Super 30 list of the state's top football recruits in the 2025 class .

While adapting to many changes, a lot has remained the same for Nickson.

The most constant variable has been the mutual interest with OU. That resulted in Nickson committing last month to play for the Sooners.

"OU recruited me three years ago before I even had any type of offers, and they've treated me the same throughout the whole process," Nickson said.

"They saw from Day 1 how I played and how I was a raw talent. That's not necessarily a bad thing to me. It's good because they get to coach me from the ground up, teach me new techniques and teach me how to fix a lot of mistakes. OU just is not like any other school that recruited me."

Nickson fielded over a dozen offers from a host of the country's best college football programs before choosing OU over Oklahoma State.

While being recruited primarily as a pass rusher, Nickson also shines offensively. He led Weatherford in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns last season at tight end.

In addition to his football skills, Nickson is one of the best basketball players in the state's class. He's already Weatherford's all-time leading scorer and currently sits at 1,685 points on the cusp of his senior season.

The Oklahoman's Super 30: Checotah's Elijah Thomas' confidence, dedication led to OU

"He's an incredible all-around athlete and talent, but the scary thing is that he hasn't even scratched the surface yet," Sossamon said. "I think the sky is really the limit for what he can grow to be in the years to come."

Nickson's frame and athleticism have been a frightening sight for opposing quarterbacks. Yet, he wants his impact to hold more value than his dominance over others.

Nickson's top short-term goal is a team-oriented objective: Lead his team to playoff success.

"We've never made it out of the first round in football since I've been here," Nickson said. "The notoriety is great and all, but this year I'm driven to make it as far as possible in the playoffs."

Nickson is aware that goal setting comes with expectations.

And he isn't shying away from any naysayers. He takes pride in the pressure placed on him by outsiders looking in.

"As long as we're having fun — and we're succeeding — I don't worry about what other people think," Nickson said. "That's in life, too. If you know you're pushing yourself to the max every day to win, nothing anyone else says really matters."

Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at jdavis@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jdavis34_ . Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com

The Oklahoman's Super 30: How Ohio State commit Nate Roberts made his mark at Washington

The Oklahoman’s 2025 Super 30

• Name: CJ Nickson
• School: Weatherford
• Super 30 ranking: No. 2
• Height: 6-foot-6
• Weight: 235 pounds
• Position: Defensive end
• Committed to: OU

The Oklahoman’s 2025 Super 30 feature series

The Oklahoman ’s Super 30 feature series will spotlight each high school football player on the Super 30 recruit rankings for the 2025 class through July 21. The series continued Friday with No. 2, Weatherford's CJ Nickson. See No. 1 on the list in Sunday’s edition of The Oklahoman . Here are the last five players we’ve featured:

• No. 3: Elijah Thomas, WR, Checotah
• No. 4: Nate Roberts, TE, Washington
• No. 5: Jaden Nickens, WR, Douglass
• No. 6: Dakotah Terrell, TE, Pocola
• No. 7: Alexander Shieldnight, DE, Wagoner

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: The Oklahoman’s Super 30: Why Weatherford's versatile star CJ Nickson committed to OU